Stealing One’s own Corpse (an alternative set of footholds for an ascent into the dark) – PART 3

Julieta Aranda’s work explores politicised subjectivity through the perception and use of time, and the notion of power over the imaginary. Stealing One’s own Corpse (an alternative set of footholds for an ascent into the dark) – PART 3 is the final part of a trilogy, made over the past decade. It investigates the contemporary existential conditions which are brought about by scientific and technological developments, and explores the possibility of creating an ‘escape route’ for the human in such overwhelming times.

The work shown here is constructed and based on material collected from Aranda’s experience at CERN, together with live action video recorded with actors, and additional collected footage. It focuses on the origins of humanism –a philosophical and ethical position that underlines the importance of human agency– and applies it to other forms of existence.

Stealing one’s own Corpse... acts at once as a warning, a guide, and a relic; considering our planet and the value we place on it, as well as contemplating its destruction and what a post-planetary future might look like.

Julieta Aranda Stealing One’s own Corpse (an alternative set of footholds for an ascent into the dark) – PART 3, 2018, Broken Symmetries at FACT, Liverpool. Photo by Drew Forsyth.

Courtesy of the artist. This work was developed as part of the Collide International Award, a partnership programme between Arts at CERN and FACT, and was co-produced by ScANNER.